The recreational use of relatively small motorized vehicles such as small four-wheel off-the-road jeep-like vehicles and other similar vehicles is becoming increasingly popular. Typically, the off-the-road vehicle is driven to site (e.g. a woods, park etc.) at which it is to be used using a heavier vehicle such as a pick-up truck and unloaded from the latter at the site. As the off-the-road vehicles become heavier, loading and unloading them becomes more of a problem.
Although some pick-up trucks and other trucks include, or can be fitted with, rigid ramps or loading inclines which are adapted to be attached to the rear of the truck to provide loading the bed, these ramps can be awkward to use because of their size and weight and often present obvious storage problems. Two examples of the patented art relating to rigid ramps are the ramps disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,078,678 (Tordella) and 3,511,393 (Abromavage). The advantages of the invention over the solid, rigid ramps of the prior art will be evident from the discussion which follows.